Hopper's handful {Lizardwhisperer

[KingCrowley]

Hopper turned to look at El with an incredulous expression as she told him that the shadow monster had Will. He didn't know exactly what she meant by that, but he knew it didn't mean physically otherwise the kid wouldn't be at home with his Mom and his friends. Had it plagued his mind or something? "What do you mean it has him?" he asked worriedly, pulling off of the dirt road and then onto concrete road as he sped off for Joyce's house. He didn't know what was going on fully, what was this shadow monster? What had been mutilating cattle and pumpkins? Was there more than one thing lurking about?

Swallowing a hard lump in his throat, Hopper sped up and focused on the road until they got to the falling down old house of Joyce, Johnathan and Will. Hopper pulled up and then turned to his kid, a stern look on his face. "Stay here. I mean it this time kid, I won't hesitate to warm your already sore butt." he promised, throwing that same old blanket over her and pushing her gently down so she wasn't such an eye sore if someone came out.

Hopper then opened the truck door and got out, he slammed the door shut behind him and then looked over when the house door flew open, and Joyce came running out, looking scared and frantic. "Joyce--" Hopper started to say, and the woman threw herself into his arms, holding him tight.

"H-He woke up----but---he's cold Hop." she explained. "He keeps saying he's too warm, but I t-took his temp and---" her voice cracked and she couldn't say more. Hopper wrapped his arms around her, his own heart thumping.

"Whatever this is, we'll get through it." he promised and then lead her back into the house. In the living room he could see Will topless, laid down on the sofa. Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Johnathan, Nancy, Steve and---------some red haired girl were all crowded around him. Hopper walked over and put his hand on the kid's bare shoulder----it was very cold. "How you doing buddy?"

Will turned sorrowful eyes up at the Sheriff and whimpered. "H-He likes it---c-cold."

"Who does?" Hopper asked.

"I-I do---don't know." Will stammered, tears pooling in his eyes. "I-I c-can't explain it."

"Dustin, what if this has something to do with Dart?" Mike asked, turning to his friend who looked like a deer in the headlights. "He's from the upside down! And Will was fine until he showed up."

Hopped frowned and looked at the kids, "Who's Dart?"

[Lizardwhisperer]

Dustin was totally put on the spot, as he glared at Mike with narrowed eyes. "Dart's my pet, I found him in the trash--and he's NOT from the upside down!" The boy punched Mike's arm in conclusion.

The room exploded with the voices of arguing twelve-year-olds, as the afternoon's events were revealed in a cacophony of excited adventure-telling--and vicious accusations.

They all jumped, like a Scooby Doo cartoon, when the sheriff hollered for them to shut up.

Dustin looked around nervously, as Hopper took him firmly by the arm and led him aside, asking where this Dart was now.

Dustin tried his best not to stammer, "I-I don't know, Sir--he got away. We all looked for him, but he'd gotten bigger and faster and he ran off." The boy spit out the lie quickly, tripping over his new teeth and looking around the room--anywhere but the stern face of the police officer. If they found Dart, they'd kill him and Dustin couldn't let that happen. An only child, raised by his Mother, with facial abnormalities, the boy had grown to understand that he was different--but Dart made him special. He was his special friend--he chose Dustin. The boy couldn't let him down.

"I know they think he's a m-monster, sir, but that's only cuz they're jealous. Dart's kick-ass."

Hopper again questioned the boy on his "kick-ass" pet's whereabouts, but Dustin vehemently denied knowing and instead, distracted the cop by turning his attention back to Will.

"NOT a monster," the slight boy droned, robot-like.

"See? Will knows Dart's ok and look how sick he is. Mrs. Byers, I think Will needs a hospital." Looking at her pale, trembling son, Joyce nodded and went to the phone. But when the other end answered, it wasn't the hospital. "Hello, Hawkins' Lab? I need to speak to Dr. Owens...no, NOW!"

......

In the truck,El stayed low,under the blanket,resisting the urge to rush in and reunite with her friends--with Mike by rubbing her tender backside. El longed to see them, but she also longed not to see Hopper's eyes full of disappointment and a bit of anger again.

Clever girl that was, she found away.Her arm reached up from under the blanket and she turned the radio on,again finding the static between channels. Eleven wrapped the scratchy material tight around her eyes and curled in a ball, listening to the soft SSSSSHHHHH of the radio and concentrating on her friends inside.

She heard them arguing--again. This time, it was mixed with excitement and she tried to discern what each was saying,as they stood there in blackness before her, her feet gliding through a black puddle. When Hopper yelled,coming into her vision, she jumped, right along with the boys. The only boy who didn't jump was Will, lying on...a couch, it looked like. She knew his Mother was close by and there were others, too. That girl was there, but El didn't want to see her, so she didn't . She was over talking to Lucas, anyway and Mike was beside Will--but it was Will that captured El's attention.

"Monster," she whispered.

When a voice that wasn't quite Will's answered to the contrary, El stepped back. Had he heard her?

She could hear Will's Mom,bordering on hysteria, and others were talking, too, but Eleven stood looking at Mike, who in turn, was looking at Will. He was talking quietly to his friend, reassuring him, encouraging him, reminding him of good times they had had--but Will just stared back, his eyes glazed and his face placid.

As El watched Mike try desperately to connect with Will,she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder--or what should have been his shoulder--but it dissolved into the darkness, along with the rest of the Byer's living room. She gasped, "Mike!" and the boy spun around, searching the space behind him, as he melted and El sat up in the truck, quickly pulling the blanket back over her head. As she wiped the blood trickle, she switched off the radio and picked up the police radio receiver.

She set the channel, then brought it under the blanket and squeezing the button, she put the receiver to her mouth.

"Hopper, come in. Hopper, come in...

Or I'm coming in."

[KingCrowley]

"Yes he is!" Mike argued back and then held his arm when Dustin punched it. He didn't understand why his friend had taken such a liking to the stupid alien creature in the first place, and why he was being so protective over it. "It came OUT of Will!" he reminded the kid and suddenly the room filled with an abundance of arguing voices, each voice trying to be louder than the last. Hopper listened to whatever he could decipher and then puffed out his chest.

"SHUT UP!" He barked, and when there was silence, he lowered his tone. Hopper then turned his icy blue gaze to Dustin, and pulled him closer by his upper arm. The kid shrank back in fear so Hopper kept his tone even as he spoke to him, "Where's Dart now kid?" he asked. The Sheriff listened to the stammering answer and he narrowed his eyes. None of this sounded good to him and he was with Mike on the idea that this 'thing' whatever it was had come from the upside down.

"So you're telling me you kept this thing that obviously didn't seem normal, and you thought it would be a good idea to make FRIENDS with it!?" The Sheriff was losing his patience with this kid, and he thought his decision had been really, really stupid! "Where the hell is he, Dustin?" Hopper asked again, more firmly this time since he hadn't gotten a straight answer the first time round.

The man's attention then snapped over to Will when he said--in a voice that wasn't quite his own---that it was not a monster. Hopper walked quickly over to Will and knelt down, "Will, it's me Sheriff Hopper." he said calmly. "Will, do you know where this---Dart is?" he asked and paused waiting for an answer----he didn't get one.

Mike felt something behind him and he whirled around, looking confused and startled. "El?" he whispered, he had always felt like she was there----somewhere. His chest fell in disappointment when he saw nothing and he turned his attention back to Hopper and Will. Will was being unresponsive and Mike saw red when Dustin kept muttering about Dart being okay.

"Will's pretty much a zombie right now and you're worried about DART?!" He growled, stepping up to his friend with anger in his eyes, "HE'S A MONSTER!" he shoved Dustin hard and Hopper put himself between the two boys.

"HE'S NOT!" Dustin snarled.

"YES HE IS! HE'S DANGEROUS!" Mike snapped. "HE'S FROM THE UPSIDE-DOWN!"

"ELEVEN WAS DANGEROUS AND FROM THE UPSIDE-DOWN TOO!" Dustin growled back, trying to push Hopper's hand away so he could punch Mike a second time.

Mike's eyes widened, "SHE WAS OUR FRIEND!"

"AND DART IS MINE!"

"CUT IT OUT!" Hopper barked. Thanks to the shouting and commotion, Hopper didn't hear El signalling out to him.

[Lizardwhisperer]

El tried the police radio again, staring at the front of the Byer's house and waiting.

She could just make out the arguing from inside, but she heard Hopper's shout loud and clear--it even made wince a bit. She knew it was no fun being on the receiving end of the big man's anger--he was slow to rile, maintaining a general surely air, but the girl knew his booming, commanding voice, when pushed too far. Someone was in trouble. Then she heard what she was almost sure was Mike's voice--high and exasperated. Tread lightly, Mike--there's a bear trap in the room.

...........

Inside, Dustin looked at the floor, in front of his friend. Lucas was shaking his head and muttering about drawing first blood, when when the red, white, and blue hat lifted slowly and Dustin offered a sweaty palm to Mike. "I'm sorry, man. El wasn't from the Upside Down, she just opened the gate. And she was our friend. I drew first blood, so--sorry. Shake?"

Mike accepted dustin's hand with some hesitation, but then took it firmly, stating, "If you say he's your friend, then Dart's your friend. But he's not mine--ok?"

Dustin wiped at his nose, "OK, fine."

As the boy started to gather his backpack and headset, Hopper asked where he was going.

"Home, to see if Dart's there," the boy continued to lie--he knew full well Dart was locked in his room--seeing no other way to protect his friend.

He was met with a chorus of "Not alone, you don't." Hopper grasping his shoulder and drilling the point. He was told they had go with Will to the lab hospital, but then Steve spoke up, "I can go with him."

They readied Will to leave, Hopper lifting the boy, Joyce right by his side, fretting. When it was realized that they wouldn't all be let inside the lab, Mike spoke up and insisted he go.

To the boy's surprise, the sheriff agreed.

...............

El dove back under the blanket, proud that she'd resisted the urge to disobey Hopper again so soon and listened to the voices outside, dominated by a frantic Joyce Byers, as Hopper carefully loaded her son into her back seat with his brother. She was trembling, knowing she was so close to Mike and yet...

And then her obedience was rewarded when the doors to the truck opened, Hopper slid in and lifted the blanket off her head. There, standing at the open door was Mike!

[KingCrowley]

Hopper watched the exchange between friends and said nothing as they made peace with one another. He didn't have time or patience to push matters further on that front. His blue eyes went to Dustin when the kid told him that he was going home to see if Dart was there. No kids were going missing on his watch and he firmly clasped his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Not alone you don't kid," he started to say.

Steve had been watching silently for a while, and he watched the exchange between the Sheriff and Dustin. Maybe he should step in and make himself useful at this point, besides it looked like the kid might end up getting himself in deeper trouble with Hopper. Steve came away from the back wall and sighed, "I'll go with him Sheriff."

"Fine." Hopper answered. "Make sure you get him home, then get yourself home kid." he answered firmly and then headed over to Will, who was very still at the moment. Hopper lifted him into his arms and then followed a frantic Joyce and a worried Jonathan out to their car. The Sheriff laid the boy across the back seat with his brother and then turned to Joyce. "Get to the lab, I'll meet you there." he instructed. "Call Bob, maybe he can help."

Joyce nodded and wiped her tears on the sleeve of her cardigan before getting into the car and pulling out. Hopper watched the car leave and then he turned to Mike, who would be joining him and a very excited young lady in his truck.

"Mike, there's something you need to know." Hopper said after a moment of silence, and he turned to the kid.

"What?" Mike asked.

Hopper opened his mouth to speak, but his words faltered. Maybe it would be easier if he just showed him? "It's easier if I show you." he walked Mike to the truck and then opened up the passenger seat door, then he slid into the driver's seat on the other side. Hopper took a deep breath and then in one swoop, he lifted the blanket off of El.

Mike's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "El!?" he couldn't believe it, his best friend was here! Alive! In----Hopper's truck? He hurried inside the truck and wrapped his arms around the girl hugging her tight. "El, I-I tried calling you all the time." he explained, his voice cracking with emotion.

****

Steve started walking out of the Byers house and turned to look at Dustin who looked pretty upset over the whole ordeal. He sighed, he wasn't great at this stuff but right now the kid needed some guidance. "You know you screwed up right? Keeping that thing." he told him and dug his hands into his pockets. "I mean come on kid---how dumb are you?"

[Lizardwhisperer]

El could only stare and say Mike’s name a moment—then, the two flung their arms around each other, , Mike’s face and fingers buried in El’s newly-grown curls. “I called you—“

“357 times,” finished El, while Hopper looked away from the two, truly feeling his girl’s isolation for the past year—it had almost been a whole year, hadn’t it?

When Mike managed to ask Eleven how she survived, at first she could only shake her head and answer, “Don’t know. Woke up in the upside down, but came back and then...” she looked over to Hopper, who was still sitting behind the wheel, looking out the window— the truck idling. Her caretaker glanced back at her and Mike caught the meaning of their exchange—and blew his top!

.........

Dustin was irked. He wasn’t a little kid and he didn’t need a babysitter—certainly not one who called him dumb. Certainly not when it was Steve Harrington, Mr. “get through school on my looks and my basketball” himself.

“I’m not dumb, asshole! I’m at the top of my science class! And math, too! Can’t believe I just got called dumb by the guy who managed to get dumped by Nancy!”

Everyone who knew Dustin knew the kid got by on his smarts—and his smart mouth. Steve knew he wasn’t the best student, but he’d be dammed if this little twerp was going to rub Nancy in his face.
The teen stepped in close and looked down at the grumpy mop-top, glaring up at him. “I came here to help you fix a mistake you made. You’re right, you’re not dumb—but hiding that thing was a dumb thing to do, after all we saw in this town last year.” Steve poked his finger into the kid’s chest, hard. “I said I’d look after you and I will. NOT another word about Nancy, cappies?”

Dustin was a little intimidated—but only a little.

“Are you trying to say capiche?”

[KingCrowley]

Mike looked in watery disbelief at El when she told him that he had called her three hundred and fifty-seven times. "W-What? You heard me calling you? Why didn't you answer?" he asked, not sounding angry, just very confused. "How did you survive---the Demigorgon?" he decided to ask and then listened as the girl explained that she woke up in the upside down but came back---then she looked over to Hopper and Mike's gaze followed.

Everything clicked.

"You've been hiding her?!" he yelled at the Sheriff. "You've been hiding her this whole time!" he shoved the Sheriff's arm and Hopper frowned back.

"Hey, hey let's talk-------" he looked to Eleven and then lowered his tone, "Alone." he got out of the truck and threw the blanket back over El before then rounding the vehicle, taking Mike's arm and leading him a to a part of the Byers' lawn that was further away.

"Protecting her----PROTECTING HER?!" Mike rounded on the Sheriff, unable to keep still as he paced up and down the grass. He was beyond pissed, how could Hopper do this to him?!

"Listen to me, the more people know about her, the more danger she's in." Hopper started calmly. "And the more danger YOU and your family are in." He felt terrible that Mike had missed El so badly, but he had to get the kid to understand.

"Oh what? So I should be thanking you then?!" Mike spat back.

"I'm not asking you to thank me!" Hopper answered, advancing on the kid, his temper flaring just a little bit. He then took a breath to calm himself, "I'm asking you to understand."

"Well I don't---I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Mike snarled angrily, getting up in the Sheriff's face.

"Okay, Okay that's fine!" Hopper cut him off immediately, his temper rising again. "Just do not blame HER, alright? She's upset enough as it is." he pretty much warned the kid and pointed back over his shoulder at the truck where El was currently hiding beneath an old, battered blanket.

"I DON'T BLAME HER, I BLAME YOU!" Mike screamed, tears gathering in his eyes. He shoved his finger right into Hopper's chest so hard he ended up hurting it, but he wasn't going to focus on that right now. "I BLAME YOU!" He yelled again.

"That's okay kid, that's okay." Hopper growled back, making a move to walk away from the situation before he ended up doing or saying something he would instantly regret.

"NO! Nothing about this is okay!" Mike yelled, stopping Hopper in his tracks. "NOTHING ABOUT THIS IS OKAY!" That did it, Mike lunged at Hopper and started hitting him, his arms flying in an angered frenzy. He wanted to get back at Hopper for doing this to him, for making him believe El was dead!

"Whoa, shh." Hopper tried to calm him, holding up his own hands in defense.

"YOU'RE A STUPID DISGUSTING LIAR YOU--!" Mike roared, sounding more like he was having a childish tantrum as he continued to hit Hopper, the two of them moving backwards until Hopper's back hit the hood of the truck.

"Okay-" Hopper tried again.

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Mike wasn't going to be stopped.

"Stop it!" Hopper scolded firmly, holding Mike back but failing pretty spectacularly.

"LIAR!"

"Stop it!" Hopper tried again.

"LIAR!"

"It's okay!" Hopper held one arm around Mike and instead pulled him closer, just holding him. "Stop it."

"Liar..." Mike's voice became raw and cracked as the tears finally started falling down his face, and he laid his head against Hopper's chest as the big sheriff cradled it.

"It's okay." Hopper soothed, just holding Mike. He knew what this kid needed, someone to just cry on and for someone to tell him that everything he was feeling, everything he'd thought about this entire situation---it would all be okay. This kid needed a strong, comforting Father figure and Hopper was more than willing to be that right here in this moment. "You're okay kid, you're okay." he soothed.

**********

Steve didn't have the biggest of brains, but he had street smarts and for the most part---common sense. Even he knew that keeping something that DEFINITELY looked like it came from the upside down was a bad idea. The teen looked at Dustin as he told himself he couldn't believe he'd been called dumb by the guy who got dumped by Nancy. He narrowed his eyes and then advanced on the kid, looking down at the little brat.

"Hey, I came here to help you fix this fuck up that YOU--" he pointed right at him, "--made." he then straightened up and sighed, "Okay so you're not dumb but what---you DID was dumb, especially after all the shit that went down last year." he then prodded his finger firmly against Dustin's doughy chest. "I said I'd look after you, you little shit head. And I don't wanna hear another word about Nancy---Cappies?!"

He then growled when Dustin asked if he was trying to say Capiche.

"Whatever." Steve huffed and continued walking. "I didn't take any language classes." he muttered under his breath. After a while of walking in silence, Steve looked at the shorter male at his side. "Why didn't you tell Hopper the truth?" he asked. "Don't try the bullshit with me kid, I know you're lying about something, so spit it out."

[Lizardwhisperer]

Eleven didn't know what to do when Mike got mad at Hopper. Still cuddled against her long-lost friend, she looked between him and her caretaker, like she was watching a tennis match. When Mike got really upset, she squeezed him tighter--torn between wanting to defend Hopper and understanding her friend's anger.

She was about to speak up, when Hopper got out of the truck and called Mike after him.

The stinky, scratchy blanket. Again.

As the emotions outside ran high, El stayed put under her familiar cover. Even a distance away, the girl heard every word of the fight. Mike's raised voice could probably have been heard in The Upside Down. Funny thing, as her friend got louder, her Da--the sheriff's voice got lowers, calmer. El was used to Hopper's booming tone, whenever she raised her voice to him like that, so El had to see. She peeked from the blanket to see Mike wrapped in the big man's arms, crying against his chest and weakly punching at him.

"Clean slate," El said aloud, hoping the two had come to an understanding.

After some time in the embrace, Mike calmed down and they returned to the truck. As Mike got in beside her, sniffling and wiping at his red eyes, El turned to Hopper. "Friends don't lie."

"Yeah, I know," he turned the ignition, "But sometimes parents do." As they drove toward the lab, the three rode in companionable silence--El leaning against Mike's side.

.................................................. ........

As they approached his house, Dustin knew he'd have to be honest with Steve. After all, Dart was inside, hopefully still in his bedroom. It would be pretty obvious his slimy friend hadn't made its way home AND locked itself in his room. He unlocked the front door, "Listen, Steve, your right. I not only kept Dart but I found him at the school when everyone was still looking. I stashed him here before going to check on Wi--WHAT THE FUCK?!? Dart, NO!"

Both boys stared, their mouths agape, at a cat-sized Demigorgon--EATING A CAT-SIZED CAT.

It heard them, turned and splayed its tooth-lined mouth, emitting an ear-splitting screech.

Steve pulled the stunned younger boy out the door and slammed it shut. "Wh-what the fuck were you thinking?"

Dustin was flabbergasted--his Mom's cat! And dart was huge--and Demigorgon-shaped. He had truly fucked up and he knew it.

"I-I-I...don't know, I...M-Mom's gonna kick my ass."

Steve still had a hold of his shirt collar and shook the kid, hard. "Yeah, well I've got first dibs. You're in for one Hell of an ass-beating once we catch this thing."

"Y-you won't hit me, I'm only 12!"

"That's exactly why I'll hit you. Haven't you ever been sp--"

There was a loud crash from inside the house, followed by breaking glass.

"SHIT," the boys said together, scrambling to make it into the backyard just in time to see the creature head into the nearby woods. "Shit," they said again, with comic timing.

Steve started after Dart, but Dustin stopped him, "Wait! We've got to bury Mews and clean up my house--my Mom'll have a coronary. And we need bait--candy...or meat. Yeah, we've got a storage freezer with roasts and stuff. And you've got your bat, but I'm gonna need something like a hammer or a knife or--"

"Does your Mom have a hairbrush?"

"How am I gonna defend myself with a hairbrush?"